Ratchet-wrench.



L. W. HOOVER.

RATGHET WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1913.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

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LEE W. HOOVER, 0F NEBRASKA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RATCHET-WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9,1913.

Application filed June 20, 1913. Serial No. 77 L891.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that 1, LEE W. l-loovnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nebraska, in the county of Forest and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Ratchet-l/Vrench, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in ratchet wrenches.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of ratchet wrenches, and to provide a simple, el'licient and practical. ratchet wrench of strong and durable construction, adapted to be easily engaged with and disengaged from a nut, and equipped with a rotary ratchet head adapted to be readily removed to permit ratchet heads with openings of different sizes to be used.

l Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully scribed, illustrated in the accompanying ring, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of tl e advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a ratchet wrench, constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view on the line 23-45 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the wrench comprises in its construction a rotary ratchet head 1, arranged in a circular bearing 2 of an approximately cylindrical casing 3, provided at one side with a narrow inwardly extending integral flange l, which its against one of the side faces of the ratchet head. The ratchet head is provided with an approximately rectangular nut receiving recess 5, which forms opposite rigid walls or jaws 6 for engaging the opposite side edges of a nut or other object. The circular ratchet head is preferably thickened at the inner portion of the recess 5 at 5 at the side faces of the head to increase the strength of the latter. The caslng 3 is provided at the outer end of the wrench with an entrance opening 7, and when the recess 5 is arranged in register or alinement with the opening 7, the wrench is adapted to be moved endwise into engage ment with a nut, but it may also be readily placed over the nut and thereby engaged with the same. The wrench is adapted to be lifted off the nut when it is desired to remove it therefrom.

The ratchet head 1 is provided with peripheral ratchet teeth 8, and the casing is preferably equipped with a plurality of spring actuated pawls 9 pivoted at one end by pins 10 or other suitable fastening devices in pockets or cavities 11 in the inner faces of the walls of the circular bearing of the casing, and having their other ends free and arranged to engage the teeth of the rotary ratchet head, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The coiled springs 12 are located in the recesses or pockets 11 and are interposed between the outer walls thereof and the inner edges or faces of the pawls to urge the engaging ends of the latter toward the rotary ratchet head. The ratchet wrench is oscillated in the usual manner to operate it, and the pawls engage with the teeth on one stroke of the wrench to locl: the ratchet head rigid with the easing, and they slide over the ratchet teeth in the opposite movement of the wrench. The walls of the pockets or cavities 11 are provided at the inner sides of the same with extensions 11 forming stops for limiting the inward movement of the spring actuated pawls to facilitate the removal and insertion of the circular ratchet head 1.

The casing is provided at the inner portion with a socket 18 in which is secured a handle 14, preferably provided with an enlarge-d grip portion 15, but the tool may be equipped with a handle of any other preferred form.

The rotary ratchet head is detachably confined in the bearing of the casing by means of a pair of curved retaining lcv rs 17, located at opposite sides of the bearing 2 and pivoted adjacent their inner ends by pins 18 to the casing at the face thereof opposite that at which the flange a is arranged. The casing is open at this face of the wrench, and the levers 17, which are curved, project inwardly over the recess and prevent outward lateral movement of the ratchet head. The inner arms of the levers 17 are tapered and project at the socket 13 and are connected by a straight or fiat spring 23, extending across the space between the inner ends of the levers 17 and having its terminals 24 suitably secured to the same. The spring 23 is adapted to spread the inner arms of the levers to swing the outer portions of the levers inwardly to close the levers automatically when the said levers are free to move under the impulse of the said spring 23. The levers are opened by means of a cam lever 21 provided with a cam head 20 pivoted by a pin 22 or other suitable fastening device to the side of the socket 13. The lever 21 is adapted to be oscillated to carry its cam head into engagement with the spring 23 to bow the latter and thereby draw the inner arms of the levers 17 inwardly to open the outer arms of the said levers to release the circular ratchet head. When the cam lever is swung from the full line position illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing to the dotted line posit-ion shown in the said figure, the head of the cam lever is carried into engagement with the spring, which is bowed, thereby drawing the inner arms of the levers l7 inwardly and swinging the outer arms of the levers outwardly, which are retained in their open position by the cam lever while removing the ratchethead from and replacing the same in the circular bearing opening of the casing 3. When the retaining levers are spread, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l, the rotary ratchet head may be removed from the casing to permit a ratchet head having an opening of a different size to be fitted in the casing. The outer ends of the retaining levers l7 terminate at the opposite sides of the entrance slot when they are in their engaging position.

What is claimed is 1. ratchet wrench including a casing having a bearing and open at one of its faces, said casing being also provided at the outer end of the wrench with an entrance opening, a rotary ratchet head removably fitted in the bearing, means carried by the casing for coacting with the ratchet head in the operation of the wrench, a pair of retaining levers pivotally mounted at the open side of the casing at opposite sides of the said bearing and extending inwardly over the bearing to confine the ratchet head therein and terminating at their outer ends at opposite sides of the entrance opening, and means for simultaneously opening the levers and for securing the same in their closed or engaged position.

2. A ratchet wrench including a casing having a bearing and open at one of its faces, a rotary ratchet head removably fitted in the bearing, means carried by the casing for coacting with the ratchet head in the operation of the wrench, curved retaining levers pivoted at a point intermediate of their ends to the casing at opposite sides thereof and projecting inwardly over the bearing to confine the ratchet head in the casing, said levers having inner arms, a spring connected with the inner arms of the levers for moving the same in one direction, and a pivotally mounted cam lever carried by the wrench and arranged to move the said levers in the opposite direction.

3. A ratchet wrench including a casing having a bearing and open at one of its faces, a rotary ratchet head removably fitted in the bearing, means carried by the casing for coacting with the ratchet head in the operation of the wrench, retaining levers pivoted at a point intermediate of their ends to the casing at opposite sides thereof and projecting inwardly over the bearing to confine the ratchet head in the casing, said levers having inner arms, a substantially straight spring extending across the space between and connecting the inner arms of the said levers, and a cam lever pivotally mounted on the wrench and having a head arranged to engage and how the spring to oscillate the retaining levers. V

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LEE W. HOOVER.

Witnesses C. S. Hoovnn, C. F. NELLIS.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

